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Relay 0r Circuit Closer. No. 242,408. a Patented May 31,1881.

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No; 242,408. Patented May 31,1881.

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Relay 1 Clroult Clo No. 242,408. Patented May 31,1881.

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE L. ANDERS AND THEODORE N. VAIL, OF BOSTON, MASS.

RELAY OR CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,408, dated May 31,1881.

Application filed May 16, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE L. ANDERS and THEODORE N. VAIL, both ofBoston, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Relays, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in the combination, with a single line-wire and acentral station containing a suitable battery and operatingkey, ofseveral local circuits and a numberot' relays corresponding to thenumber of local circuits, the construction and arrangement of the relaysbeing such that any one of them, and only one of them, can beopcrated atone time to complete its local circuit according to the intensity or thepolarity, or the intensity and polarity, of the current sent'over themain line.

The invention also consists in certain details of construction.

It further comprises the use, in connection with one or more instrumentscausing a signal to be given by steady currents, such as furnished by abattery, of a bell or signal instrument located in the same line-wireand rapidlyalternating currents from a magnetogenerator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a relay constructed according toour invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a planwith upper portions removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation. Figs. 5,6, 7, and 8 are diagrams illustrating the application of our inventionto six local circuits. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a circuit withsix stations provided with relays operated by constant currents, and aseventh station provided with a magneto-bell.

Our invention, independently of the peculiar construction of theinstrument we use, will be most easily understood by an examination ofthe diagram shown at Fig. 8, where there is shown a centralstation withbattery and operating-keys, a main line, six relays, and six localbell-circuits. The battery at the central station need not be furtherdescribed than to say that it has keys by which a positive or negativecurrent may be sent over the line, and keys by which the strength of thefull current may be twice diminished.

At each of the six local stations 0 G represent two spools ot' theelectro-inagnet of the relay, and G represents a polarized armature. Tothe latter is connected one of the wires, to, of the local circuit,containing a local battery and bell, as shown, the return-wire 10connect ing with a contact-screw, P.

At stations 1, 2, 4., and 5 is represented a metallic spring, alwayspressing against the contact-screw P except when pushed away by thearmature G, as will be explained hereinafter. At stations 3 and 6 asimilar spring is shown, which must be pressed back by the armaturebefore the latter reaches the contactscrew.

At each station is shown a spring, the force of which is to be overcomebefore the armature G can establish a contact with the contactscrew Pand complete the local circuit. Using letters which are used torepresent springs in the instrument, the construction of which will bepresently explained, we may anticipate by saying that the springs havethe strength of those in the instruments which are lettered the same,viz: at stations 1 and 4 the springs have the strength of springs e andc,- at stations 2, 3, 5, and 6, of c and c and 0.

The poles of the polarized armature at stations 4, 5, and 6 are thereverse of the poles at stations 1, 2, and 3. It is therefore obviousthat a current which will move, or tend to move, the armature G atstations 1, 2, and 3 to bring it in metallic contact with screw P willhave no effect at the other three stations, and therefore the currentwhich must be used for stations 4, 5, and. 6 will have no effect atstations 1, 2, and 3. Now, by construction the force of the spring 0 atstations 1 and 4 is such that when the current is in the properdirection it will be overcome, so that contact is made by the armature Gwith spring 0, thus making metallic contact with screw P, when bothcut-out keys of the main battery are used and a current of very littlestrength is sent over the main line; but it only one or neither cutoutkey is used, and a current of greater force is sent over the main line,the armature G will strike against the spring 0 with such force as topush that spring away from screw P and insure a break in the localcircuit. In like manner, by construction the coiled spring 6 c ofstations 2 and 5 will be overcome and contact made between armature Gand spring 0, and the local circuit established, when one cutout keyonly is used; but if no cut-out key is used the current will be sostrong that the spring 0 will be pushed away from screw 1? and a breakin the local circuit insured and by construction this strong currentwill overcome the springs c c and 0 at stations 3 and 6, and makecontact with P.

From this description it follows that each cal circuit may beestablished by sending over the main line a current of suitableintensity and polarity; but this is not all. It follows equally that ifa current is set over the main line of suitable intensity'and polarityto cause the completion of anyone of the local circuits, that currentwill establish breaks in all five of the other local circuits. A bellcan therefore be rung at any one of the six stations by an operator atthe central station, but cannot possibly be rung at any twoof them atthe same time.

The diagram Fi 8 to which the foregoing description relates is intendedmainly to illustrate the operation of a series of six relays inaccordance with the invention, and in it, for the purpose of more simpleillustration, the relays are shown with a single armature, it beingobvious that a polarized armature, in ad dition to the attraction andmovementdepending on the polarization, may, like a soft-iron armature,be made to overcome a regulated spring-pressure according to thestrength of the magnet. In practice we employ two armatures, onepolarized, so that the relays will bring in their local circuits onlyunder the action of currents of one polarity, and the other a neutralarmature for overcoming the tension of springs c 0. hen there are onlytwo relays on the same circuit, or even where there are four, two ofeach polarity, one armature polarized may be use with good effect ineach relay. It is obvious, also, that if the relays at stations 1, 2,and 3 only were used there would be no need of employing a polarizedarmature.

To a line having six stations provided with relays, as j ust described,a seventh station may be added by providing a magneto-bell, which mayberung by a magneto-generator at the central ofiice independently of thevibrating bells at the other six stations. It is obvious that amagneto-bell of this character could be used to give a signal at its ownstation independent of the others on a circuit connected withinstruments operated by constant currents, when the number of saidinstruments is less than six. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the sixrelays, as represented in Fig. 8, without their local circuits, and aseventh station provided with a magneto-bell. The bell is represented byZ.

Having now described the nature and mode of operation of our invention,we proceed to describe in detail the construction of the relay used atthe local stations, premising the description, however, by saying thatwhile we claim some of the details of construction as our invention, theprincipal feature of our invention can be worked out independently ofthe precise details represented and described.

Ais a wooden bed; B, abrass frame; 0, an electro-magnet supported by theframe B.

D is a soft-iron armature, attached to one end of a vibrating brass rod,E, which is rigidly secured at its center to a rock-shaft, F, whose endshave bearin gs in the inner ends of two adj ustin g-screws, a a, in theupper part of the frame 13.

Projecting downward from the rock-shaft F is a rod, b, whose lower endis attached to a spring, a, the tension of which is regulated by theadjusting-screw d, as shown. The force of the spring 0 tends to lift thesoft-iron armature D from the electro-magnet.

G is a polarized armature swinging on a post, H, which is insulated fromthe frame by a plate, 1'.

A spring, 0, secured to the polarized armature, and pressing against oneof the spools of the magnet, exerts its force against a current sentthrough the electro-magnet in one direction, as hereinafter explained.

J is a metallic post secured to the frame B. It supports a piece ofinsulating material, K, whose office is to give support to four piecesof metal-via, an elbowpiece, m, a pin, a, a bent spring,o,and anelbow-piece, 1). Of these four pieces the pin n and bent spring 0 are attimes in contact with each other, otherwise the four parts are insulatedfrom each other.

The upper arm of the elbow-piece m supports an end of the rod E when thesoft-iron armature is not attracted to the electro-magnet. Through theother arm of the elbowpiece on is an adj usting-screw,j, in contact withthe inner end of which the nearer end of the polarized armature isbrought to close, or assistin closing, a branch circuit, as will behereinafter described. In like manner the upper arm of the elbow-piece phas an adjusting-screw, 1, against the lower end of which the rod E isat times lifted.

S S are screw-cups connecting with the line, and O O are the screw-cupsconnecting with the branch circuit.

, A light current sent through the electromagnet has no effect upon thesoft-iron armature, and does not disturb the contact between the end ofthe rod E and the elbow-piece m. A current of any strength, however, ifin a proper direction, will cause the polarized armature to overcome theforce of the spring cand bring the polarized armature into contact withthe adjust-in g-screw j. A wire, 10, connects the screw-cup O with thepost H, and a second wire, 10 connects the screw-cup O with the frame B,say, at adjusting-screw a. This is the condition at stations 1 and 4,the two stations differing only in the polarity of the armature G, andthe bell rings when the polarized armature swings against screw j, thelocal circuit being then completed, and being, as before stated, fromscrew'cup O, by wire 10, to

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post H, through that post to thepolarized armature Gr, then toadjusting-screw j, elbow-piece m, rod E, rock-shaft I frame B, by wire wto screw-cup (See Fi .5.)

At stations 2 and the screw-cup O is connected with post H by wire w,but the wire w from screw cup 0 is attached to the pin a; and to ringthe bell at stations 2 and 5 a current of medium strength is sentthrough the electro-magnet, sufficient to lift the rod E from theelbow-piece and bring it into contact with bent spring 0, but not ofsufficient strength to lift the bent spring 0 from contact with pin n. Athird wire, also connects elbow-piece m with the vibrating rod E, andwhenever the current through the electro-magnet brings the polarizedarmature into contact with the screw j the bell rings, the bell-circuitbeing from screw-cup O, by wire, to post H, and through post H topolarized armature G, thence to screw j, elbow-piece m, by wire 10 tovibrating rod E, bent spring 0, pin n, by wire 10 to screw-cup 0. (SeeFig. 6.)

At stations 3 and 6 screw-cup O is still connected with post H, butscrew-cup O is connected with elbow-piece p, the additional wire, 10, inthis instance connecting the elbow-piece m with llJG spring 0, and thecurrent has sufficient strength to cause the rod to strike theadjusting-screw l, and at the same time to lift the spring 0 from thepin a. The bell is rung when the polarized armature G strikes theadjusting-screw j, the local circuit being then completed as follows:from screw-cup O, by wire 20, to post H, polarized armature G, thence toscrew j, elbow-piece m, by wire to 10 to spring 0, rod E,adjusting-screw l, elbow-piece p, by wire 10 to cup 0. (See Fi 7.)

It is obvious that the spring 0, pin n, and elbow-piece 12 may beremoved from the instrument used at stations 1 and 4, and that theelbow-piece 12 may be removed at stations 2 and 5. At whatever stationused the instrument shown requires the wires '10 and W. The instrumentused at stations 2 and 5 requires an additional wire, 10 and theinstrument used at the stations 3 and 6 requires the additional wire to.The wires are shown in the diagrams 5, 6, and 7.

Referring again to Fig. 8 it is obvious that stations 3 and 6, or thatstations 2, 3, 5, and 6 might be omitted without departing from theprinciple of our invention.

We are familiar with the construction and operation of relays in use insystems of multiple telegraphy, and make no claim to such constructionand mode of operation. Such systems resemble our invention in making useof a single line-wire over which are sent currents of differentintensity and different polarity, but here the resemblance ceases. Inthose systems it is provided that several local circuits and theirrespective instruments may be operated simultaneously, which provisionmust be guarded against, for it is no less essential in our system thatan operator shall not be able to ring more than one bell at a time thanit is that he shall be able to ring any one bell at will.

We claim- 1. A main electric circuit, in combination with a series oflocal circuits, and a series of relays constructed substantially asdescribed, whereby any one of said relays, but only one at a timefinaybe operated to bring in the local circuit, the currents for operatingthe several relays differing from each other in intensity or polarity orintensity and polarity, as set forth.

2. In an electric circuit,a series of relays, part of one and part ofthe opposite polarity, the relays of the same polarity being adapted toconnect in a local or branch circuit by the action of currents ofdifferent intensity, substantiall y as described.

3. The polarized armature G and the vibrating arm E, provided with thesoft-iron armature D, in combination with the electro-magnet 0, the armm, screw j, and wires 20 and w substantially as described, for thepurpose specified.

4. The polarized armature G and the vibrating arm E, provided with thesoft-iron armature D, in combination with the electro-magnet (3, the armm, screw j, spring 0, pin a, and wires w, 10 and 1 0 substantially asdescribed.

5. The polarized armature G and vibrating arm E, provided with thesoft-iron armature D, in combination with the electro-magnet O,

arm m, screw j, spring 0, screw l in metallic connection with wire 10and the wires w and w, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

6. The combination, with instruments for causing signals to be given atone or more stations on the line and operated by constant currents, of amagneto bell or signal placed on the same line-wire and operated by therapidlyalternatin g currents of a magneto-generator for giving a signalindependent of aforesaid instruments.

7. In a telephone signal apparatus, a series of relays comprising each aneutral and a polarized armature and contact-points as indicated, theneutral armatures being adjusted differently, and the polarizedarmatures being of unlike polarity in difl'erent instruments,substantially as described.

GEORGE LEE ANDERS. THEO. N. VAIL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. SWAN, H. G. ()LMSTED.

IIS

